August 2008

Dear Friends,

It’s funny how a few words can have such a big impact. In 1999 I was keeping a journal. Here’s part of my entry for 27th August:

“Up at 5.30am to be at church [St Paul’s in Highfield, a euphemistically titled ‘high density’ suburb of Harare] for the 7am service where I baptised six youngsters aged between 10 and 15 years. The congregation was quite small, only about 150. I discovered that the youngsters were not baptised on a Sunday because, despite the poverty of the area, they were at boarding schools and not free on a Sunday. I asked why they weren’t baptised and confirmed at the same time. I was told that the next parish confirmation, which was going to take place in a few weeks’ time, already had 302 candidates and to keep the length of the service down they did the baptisms beforehand.”

Recently I heard on a BBC radio report that St Paul’s Highfield had been the scene of government violence against the local population. It was just a few words but it suddenly made the whole Zimbabwe catastrophe very real to me. The church building where I had signed the service register and which I have photographs of was the unseeing witness of great cruelty.

I find it very hard to know what the answer is to the situation there except of course that Mr Mugabe and those around him need to go. Even then it will surely take many years, if not decades to rebuild that country. My short time there (three weeks) at least gives me a feel for the land and its people. Do please pray.

Douglas Wren